Of Plastic Soldiers and Walnut Ships

By Art of the Diver

Thu, 24 Oct 2013
  • 929 reads
4 comments
 

 

Walnut ships make their way to the coast

toward fate unknown a courageous tiny invasion armada

conveying fear’s anticipation often too great for others to appreciate

across each arrival’s bow, waves of mixed emotions break

oh how those billowing paper sails, brought them ever closer to destiny

ever more relevant to the outcome of these days, in emerging history

We built walnut ships, to carry the hopes of each plastic soldier

bravely standing to attention, awaiting that beached moment, perhaps their fall

and each knowing duty demanded, irrespective of the odds, that they remain

long after we had walked home...

__________________

* Words by Pearldiver *

Copyright © 2013 Art of the Diver with all rights reserved  

Certificate 15
Poem
1914 - 1918 Lest We Forget The Great War
Unclassified

Comments

Submitted by Luke Neima on

Great one, Art. I love the image of the walnut ship with a paper sail and plastic soldiers... a great metaphor

Submitted by Art of the Diver on

Cheers Luke, walnut ships were great fun. Thanks for taking the time... historically I wonder how Harald saw it in 1066, or the Turks at Gallipoli in 1915... or the Germans on D-Day.  We forever boys, playing soldiers...

I appreciate your positive review... take care

Rob

Submitted by Sooz006 on

Wow, what a memory from the past. I  remember kids making these. I never did myself but I haven't thought about that for nearly forty years. One of my foster brothers used to sail his action man across the garden pond  (not in a walnut boat though)and I always longed to be allowed to play. 

 

Thanks for the memory.

 

Submitted by Art of the Diver on

Nice to meet you Sooz,

thanks for taking the time to read my work and leave a positive comment.  The sight of sailing an action man across the garden pond is a classic... I guess in many respects the Spanish action men of the Armada must have also considered the English Channel to be just another garden pond...

Cheers for your intro Sooz

Take care... Rob